CITY LIMITS: FIRST WEEK OF SPECIAL SESSION
BRINGS POLITICAL GAMES, LITTLE ACTION
PAGE 7
The race between O’Connell and Rolli enters its final days, while runoff candidates vie for a handful of remaining Metro Council seats
FOOD & DRINK: CHEF MICHAEL HANNA SHINES AT ST. VITO FOCACCERIA PAGE 26
FOR YOUR MUSIC, YOUR GENEROSITY, AND YOUR SUPPORT.
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CITY LIMITS
First Week of Special Session Brings Political Games, Little Action 7
Five months after the Covenant School shooting, the Tennessee General Assembly bickers
BY KELSEY BEYELERPith in the Wind
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ART
Crawl Space: September 2023
Big-deal shows at Red Arrow, Browsing Room and Julia Martin Gallery dominate this month’s lineup
BY JOE NOLAN8
This week on the Scene’s news and politics blog
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COVER STORY
Runoff Rundown
Freddie O’Connell Consolidates Support During Mayoral Runoff
The longtime councilmember is everything, everywhere, all at once
BYELI
MOTYCKAAlice Rolli Faces Hurdles in Mayoral Bid ............................................................
BOOKS
Taking Back the Narrative
Alice Carrière finds her way beyond a troubled upbringing in Everything/Nothing/Someone
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Lamar Alexander’s former campaign manager promises she won’t raise taxes and will hire more police officers
BY STEPHEN ELLIOTTA Deeper Dive Into the At-Large Runoff
Candidates 14
Eight candidates vie for the four remaining seats
BY CONNOR DARYANI,NASHVILLE BANNER
Three of the Metro Council’s 35 District Seats Are on the Runoff Ballot 16
A quick look at the races to represent Districts 4, 11 and 29
BY D. PATRICK RODGERS19
CRITICS’ PICKS
Bully, BrickUniverse Lego Fan Expo, 91 Day, True Romance and more
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FOOD AND DRINK
An Offer You Can’t Refuse
Finally at his own brick-and-mortar, Michael Hanna shines at St. Vito Focacceria
WEST
BY KAY BY SARAH NORRIS;CHAPTER16.ORG 31
MUSIC Present Tense
Cutting-edge fusion ensemble Shakti caps a monumental year with a reunion tour
BY RON WYNN Band of Brothers
John Cowan is deep into his ‘second tour of duty’ with The Doobie Brothers
DARYL SANDERS
BY31
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ON THE
Freddie O’Connell and Alice Rolli
Photos by Eric England
Another Look
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The Scene’s music writers recommend recent releases from O.N.E. the Duo, Greta Van Fleet, Stef and the Sleeveens and more
BY
RACHEL CHOLST, P.J. KINZER, ADDIE MOORE, DARYL SANDERS, STEPHEN TRAGESER, RON WYNN
The Spin
The Scene’s live-review column checks out Brian Brown and more at The Blue Room
BY STEPHEN TRAGESER
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As I drive through Nashville these days, I can’t help but let my mind wander back to the earlier years — when my friend and business partner Jimmy Webb and I kick-started our entrepreneurial journey. Memories of excitement, uncertainty and the thrill of forging our own path flood my senses, and strangely enough, the essence of those early days includes the unique and incredible vibe of a place that’s been a constant in Nashville’s ever-changing landscape: Brown’s Diner.
Located on Blair Boulevard near our former office, Brown’s Diner holds a special place in my heart. It’s a reminder of the journey Jimmy and I forged, from humble beginnings to where our company is today. Just as we set out on our own with dreams and ambitions, this locally iconic establishment set out with its own mission, and has stood the test of time. Brown’s has been continually serving up delectable food to generations of patrons.
Looking back, it’s not just the food that makes Brown’s so remarkable, but the stories woven into its history. Celebrities including Vince Gill, John Prine and Don Everly have graced its stools, blurring the lines between fame and familiarity. To myself and many others, the diner is an example of Nashville’s charm and acceptance — where legends and locals gather on equal footing. I too was once a regular, drawn in by its unassuming atmosphere and the promise of genuine connections.
Nashville is a city of transformations, and Brown’s Diner has been a witness to these changes for nearly a century. Its doors first opened in 1927, and over the years, it has evolved without losing its essence. Jim Love was its owner for 47 years — but the diner was sold in 2021. Prior to making the sale, Love was very cognizant of the type of owner he wanted to take over, himself having purchased the business from the family of original owner Charlie Brown. It was clear that Love wanted the new owner to preserve the character of the restaurant. Restaurateur Bret Tuck, one of the original partners in Edley’s Bar-B-Que, became the new owner.
Even as Brown’s underwent a change in ownership and a subtle remodel in 2021, the wise choice was made not to erase its history. Tuck had been a fan of Brown’s for years — and obviously recognized the value of authenticity over modernization, and therefore preserved the very vibe that captured the hearts of its patrons for decades. The simple and flavorful menu remains and still satisfies the cravings of young and old alike. Further, and to Tuck’s credit, he retained Brown’s Diner employees including Terry Young, Daphne McFarland, Ron Kimbro and Gordy Stewart, who have been there for decades. They have long proved their loyalty to Brown’s and are excellent at what they do, because they enjoy being a part of the iconic establishment. Furthermore, the regulars are happy to see the same familiar faces — and to feel they are still part of Nashville’s definitive character.
Brown’s is not just another diner — it’s a living, breathing part of Nashville’s story.
It’s the place where artists and construction workers alike gather, sharing stories and laughter, united by the universal language of great food. In a world where the dining scene is constantly reinventing itself, Brown’s stands in continuity as a space that still evokes the spirit of the past while remaining relevant. The diner’s walls have absorbed tales for generations, becoming a gallery of memories for anyone who walks through its doors.
As I reflect on my journey and Nashville’s path, I can’t help but realize that Brown’s Diner encapsulates the essence of this city. It’s more than just a place to savor the best burger in town or a hearty chili — it’s a slice of history, a meeting ground for dreamers, and a haven for those seeking genuine experiences.
For nearly everyone who’s crossed its threshold, Brown’s Diner is the epitome of a great diner. It’s a place where friendships are forged, culinary desires are fulfilled, and live music carries the energy of Nashville’s beating heart. It’s a cherished landmark that has not only preserved my good memories, but continues to create fresh ones for newcomers and regulars alike. While Nashville evolves, one thing remains constant: Brown’s Diner is a timeless gem, a testament to the authenticity that defines this city — a place where you can make great friends, eat remarkable food, and truly experience the soul of Nashville.
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In memory of Jim Ridley, editor 2009-2016
Nearly five months after three students and three staff members were killed by a shooter at Nashville’s Covenant School, Gov. Bill Lee called a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly, ostensibly designed to pass legislation related to gun reform. But in its first week, the legislature — controlled by Lee’s fellow Republicans — instead opted to play political games, even as physicians, faith leaders, members of the Covenant School community and others from across the state advocate for stricter gun laws.
As of this writing, Lee has not been visible at the Capitol during its proceedings. While the legislature was convened for its regular session at the time of the shooting in March, and passed legislation bolstering school safety, the body didn’t pass anything addressing the greater issue of gun violence — even as thousands of people showed up at the Capitol advocating for reform.
Guns are a leading cause of death for youth across the country and in Tennessee. According to Tennessee Under the Gun, an information hub created by the Tennessee Senate Democratic Caucus, at least 506 shooting incidents resulted in the deaths of 196 adults and 25 children between April 21 — when the regular legislative session ended — and Aug. 28.
There is widespread demand to roll back the lax gun laws that legislators have passed in recent years, some of which were initially opposed by law enforcement agencies. The Covenant School shooter was armed with legally purchased weapons including an
assault-style rifle. Gov. Lee called for legislation enacting extreme-risk protection orders, which would temporarily remove guns from people experiencing a crisis, but
his fellow Republicans have not taken up any legislation related to ERPOs. Instead, they’ve focused on bills related to mental health and the reality of mass shootings without handling any legislation related to access to guns.
At the start of the session, a petition signed by more than 1,000 Tennessee physicians was delivered to lawmakers, reading: “Solutions which only address mental health and school security will not impact the safety of our school children as thoroughly and as expediently as banning assault-style weapons of mass casualty and implementing red flag laws immediately.”
Within the first week, the Senate all but wrapped its proceedings by passing four
pieces of legislation and declining to consider much else. One bill encourages but does not require safer gun storage. Other bills require the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to submit a report on human trafficking and shorten the window during which courts must report criminal proceedings to the TBI for background checks.
The Senate also allocated money to provide more school safety grants, provide bonuses for state mental health professionals and fund a public behavioral health scholarship program.
The House considered more bills than the Senate, and House leaders have criticized the Senate for its inaction.
“We are now caught in the middle of a
cold war between the House and the Senate at the cost of our family’s dignity,” said Covenant parent Sarah Shoop Neumann at a Monday press conference.
Surrounding the already tense legislative affairs are controversial new rules that limit the public’s access to attend and protest at the session. The tunnel connecting the Cordell Hull Building to the Capitol has been closed 30 minutes before and after each session, and the lobby outside House and Senate chambers has been heavily cordoned off. House representatives who cause “material disruptions” or “fail to strictly conform to the question” can be prevented from speaking for the remainder of the session. Furthermore, the House attempted to set a rule preventing spectators from holding signs — though that was later blocked by a Davidson County judge. The litigation came after protesters were removed from a House committee meeting for holding signs. Shortly after they were removed, the room — where Covenant parents were present and planning to testify — was cleared because audience members applauded the failure of a bill. On Monday, House leaders directed troopers to clear members of the audience due to reported disruptions. House Republicans also voted to silence Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville), whose fellow Democrats soon left the chamber in protest.
Covenant School parents representing the Covenant Families Action Fund (which is not affiliated with the Covenant School itself) were front-and-center throughout the week, viewing the proceedings, holding press conferences and testifying about what happened to their children on the day of the shooting.
The Scruggs family, whose daughter Hallie was among the victims on March 27, urged lawmakers via a statement not to allow the autopsy reports of children to be made public. A statement read on behalf of Erin Kinney, parent of victim William Kinney, advocated for the passage of a law that would require schools to differentiate emergency alarms.
“He was fulfilling his duty to lead his class to safety from a possible fire, and within seconds of the building being breached, his class encountered the shooter and he and two of his classmates were lying dead,” read Kinney’s statement. “Had the students or teachers known there was a shooter in the building, they would not have attempted to evacuate their classroom.”
“While we did feel the support of some, we were also mansplained, interrogated, silenced, kicked out of meetings and insulted,” said Covenant parent Melissa Alexander.
“In the last five months, we have been galvanized to advocate on behalf of all children and families in Tennessee,” said Covenant parent Becky Hansen. “We have done so with the hopes of real change that would help us from these senseless and fully preventable acts of gun violence. Unfortunately, as we stand here today, we see that many of our elected leaders, particularly in the Senate, have done nothing other than prove they are incapable of the job they have been called to do.”
EMAIL EDITOR@NASHVILLESCENE.COM
Days after a historically chaotic special legislative session turned the spotlight to Gov. Bill Lee, former Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist died in Memphis at the age of 87. While as of this writing Lee’s special session — called in response to the Covenant School shooting in March — has failed to pass any substantive gun laws, Lee’s move invoked debate about the role of Tennessee’s chief executive in commanding his own party and producing results for voters. Previously representing Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District from 1983 to 1995, Sundquist, a Republican, was elected governor in 1994 and reelected in 1998. Al Ganier, a businessman and friend of Sundquist, eventually pleaded guilty on charges related to his company receiving millions in state contracts. … Ganier’s daughter, Alice Rolli, appeared with Councilmember Freddie O’Connell last week at a mayoral forum hosted by NewsChannel 5 Just weeks away from their Sept. 14 runoff for mayor, Rolli and O’Connell sparred about their families’ education choices (O’Connell sends his kids to a public school they’re not zoned for; Rolli’s family opted for private education) and different postures toward state overreach. Rolli hit O’Connell over his recent vote against automated license plate readers, a new police technology, and O’Connell prodded Rolli on her understanding of city finances. Since the two ascended to the runoff on Aug. 3, O’Connell has consolidated support among many of the city’s business and political leaders, while Rolli, the race’s conservative underdog, has struggled to distance herself from her party’s far right. … Leadership at the Metro Health Department is quietly reassigning its health equity bureau, a seven-person team focused on reducing disparities in health outcomes, after less than two years. The bureau’s director, Stephanie Kang, left her post in June. In a meeting with the bureau’s employees, leadership explained that the health equity team would be folded into Metro Health’s human resources department. … Metro’s Ethical Conduct Board dismissed an ethics complaint filed against 13 Metro councilmembers last week related to campaign contributions from Titans lobbyists. The complaint, which alleged violations related to bribery and conflicts of interest, did not produce evidence that the cumulative $28,370 in campaign money was conditioned directly on members’ support for a new $2.1 billion stadium. All individuals named in the complaint ultimately supported the stadium deal, including several key swing votes. … Writes contributor Betsy Phillips, an offensive and unproductive special session may create enough pissed-off voters for a ballot box reckoning. “The very simple, basic first step is that you, pissed-off conservatives who have been done wrong by your representatives at the state legislature, need to unseat a few of them,” she writes. “You don’t even need the whole lot. You just need to oust a couple of them on a clear campaign of gun reform and you’ll find the rest of them suddenly a lot more willing to address your problems.”
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It feels as though Nashville’s mayoral race has stretched on for decades.
In reality, it began when term-limited District 19 Metro Councilmember Freddie O’Connell declared his candidacy back in April 2022, and heated up when Mayor John Cooper announced in January of this year that he would not seek reelection. The already-crowded field filled in further after that, with 12 candidates qualifying to run for the office by the May 2023 deadline.
Ultimately, O’Connell, the most progressive candidate in the field, came in first on Election Day with about 27,000 votes. Conservative Alice Rolli landed about 20,000 votes on Aug. 3, coming in second and leaving the rest of the field — mostly Democrats — to split the remaining liberal votes among themselves.
With early voting now open, and runoff Election Day set for Sept. 14, we’re taking a close look at O’Connell’s and Rolli’s campaigns. Also in this issue you’ll find our pieces on the remaining Metro Council races — eight candidates are vying for the body’s four remaining at-large seats, while three of the city’s 35 district seats are also headed to a runoff. Read on, and head to the polls one last time.
D. PATRICK RODGERS, EDITOR-IN-CHIEFThe longtime councilmember is everything, everywhere, all at once
BY ELI MOTYCKABEFORE HE HAD a polling advantage or an endearing football commercial, before virtually all of the city’s political class lined up behind him, Freddie O’Connell won yards.
“We have Burkley-O’Connell yards,” O’Connell says of yard signs, speaking excitedly outside Dose Coffee on Murphy Road. “We have O’Connell-Pulley yards. We share yards with Angie [Henderson] and Jim [Shulman].”
He had been sharing an early-Monday coffee with Brad Gioia, the outgoing director of Montgomery Bell Academy, the preppy West End academy where O’Connell finished high school. His mom, Beatie, taught French there for three decades.
I’d bumped into O’Connell by coincidence.
While we sat outside, I kept track of the interruptions — four in 10 minutes — as passersby stopped to offer a word of encouragement or to tell Freddie they’d already voted for him.
O’Connell staffer Alex Apple estimates that the campaign had planted royal-blue signs in front of 1,600 houses. You can see them on fences, balconies and windows, bold white letters over a yellow outline of Davidson County. O’Connell’s point was that, to him, signs were the tangible proxy for the wide appeal he shared with colleagues and candidates across the Metro universe. While voters split narrowly for Angie Henderson — the West Side councilmember who defeated incumbent Jim Shulman in the race for vice mayor — O’Connell could win both sides. While he’s consistently voted opposite more conservative councilmembers like Russ Pulley and Burkley Allen on wedge issues like license plate readers and the deal for a new Titans stadium, both Allen and Pulley are vying for two of the city’s remaining at-large seats, and they all share yards. Fellow at-large candidate Quin Evans-Segall has forged a strong alliance with O’Connell’s campaign, both anchors of a pro-parks, protransit, pro-mobility Metro axis outwardly critical of big subsidies for tourism and corporations.
O’Connell has consolidated support among important city leaders and institutions since taking the most votes into the runoff on Aug. 3. Many of his former opponents have fallen in line, including Heidi Campbell, Jeff Yarbro, Matt Wiltshire and
Jim Gingrich. Labor unions and business leaders agree on O’Connell, as do most of his colleagues in the Metro Council, where O’Connell has represented parts of the downtown core, Germantown, Salemtown, Midtown, Napier-Sudekum and North Nashville for eight years. As early voting began last week, the entire Metro school board endorsed O’Connell’s bid — “many believe this is the first time” the board jointly endorsed a mayoral candidate, according to a release from the body.
Drive in Wedgewood-Houston and you can see yards with O’Connell signs and signs opposing the NASCAR track at the
fairgrounds, a controversial tourism play that advocates put on ice early in August before it was set to die in council. Approach the four-way stop at Blair Boulevard and Natchez Trace from the west and you’ll see a stately stone bungalow that’s supporting the NASCAR deal and O’Connell.
“We don’t know him personally, but I watched four televised events,” says Joyce Quirk, who lives there with her husband Preston. “Observing the candidates and their responses and presence and intelligence, I settled on Freddie after the second forum and first debate. I appreciate all he’s done in council and serving on the transit
board. I actually completely disagree with him about the stadium deal, but I feel like he’ll get over that and make the East Bank development the best it can be. He has experience and knowledge, and I know this race is supposed to be nonpartisan, but I can’t support a Republican candidate. Not in this era, with Republicans at the state and federal levels who refuse to condemn Donald Trump. And the gerrymandering.”
“I’m also a car person,” says Preston, who concurs with Joyce’s political analysis. “I have a race car and I enjoy racing.”
To older voters, O’Connell has proven his experience and smarts. To parents, he’s proven his support for public education, burnished by his own credentials as an Eakin Elementary alum. His formal relationship with Nashville liberals dates back well over a decade to Liberadio(!), a politics show he hosted on Vanderbilt’s WRVU in the 2000s with Mary Mancini, who went on to chair the Tennessee Democratic Party. Long concerned with environmentalism, housing and homelessness, O’Connell has shown up at rallies, protests, memorials and actions over the eight years he’s been in office. For that reason, a huge swath of politicized young people identified with O’Connell and helped furnish a field campaign that knocked on doors and phone-banked — all in the hopes that Mayor O’Connell could move their city further left.
To the business class, he’s proven that a little extra scrutiny won’t stop the city’s economic growth. O’Connell has been the councilmember approving controversial new real estate projects that have made parts of North Nashville whiter and wealthier while also winning the support of Black city leaders and politicians, like state Rep. Brenda Gilmore and Metro Register of Deeds Karen Johnson. Downtown, O’Connell has stamped
Lamar Alexander’s former campaign manager promises she won’t raise taxes and will hire more police of cers
BY STEPHEN ELLIOTTALICE ROLLI USED to tweet. Like, a lot. About Fort Negley, about then-Mayor Megan Barry, about WPLN. Dozens and dozens of replies to reporters and politicians. Praise for her now-opponent Freddie O’Connell. A declaration that Republicans eat seafood soup from Whole Foods, too. A poster, through and through.
Rolli launched her account eight years ago with a plea for people to vote for David Fox, who is now her campaign treasurer, for mayor. These days, @AliceRolli1 is mostly quiet — just the occasional picture from some local business or meeting hall she has visited on the campaign trail. She says she left Twitter recently, in part because of “all these things I’m learning about myself” — presumably untrue.
massive corporate projects like Amazon’s Nashville Yards and AllianceBernstein’s move to Fifth + Broadway. In 2021, he delivered Stand Up Nashville’s “20 Questions about the Oracle deal” — which skewered corporate-centric city priorities — to Mayor John Cooper before voting for the deal, along with every other councilmember, a month later, with many of those questions unanswered.
The Nashville Post and Nashville Scene’s Stephen Elliott asked O’Connell in a recent interview about a proposed land swap in District 19. At Church Street Park, O’Connell supported a land swap with a developer — Tony Giarratana, who recently co-hosted a fundraiser for O’Connell — in return for certain community benefits.
“Can you show me where I supported that?” O’Connell responded.
“I actually watched a Parks board meeting this morning from 2018 where you said, ‘I think this is better than the current —’”
“I said, ‘I think anything is better than the status quo,’” O’Connell responded. “And that was true. And if Parks couldn’t do better than the status quo, then I think it’s important to consider all options. But I also feel like we wanted to leave the space if the park could perform better. Which is something I also articulated.”
O’Connell’s circumspection can, at times, saddle him with contradictions that will be more difficult to avoid when he holds enough power to drive the city’s agenda. He has already begun arguing that he won’t drive the city’s agenda, but rather be its shepherd, favoring the careful language of stakeholder-heavy, community-driven priorities that activate and leverage strategic partnerships.
“I think there is a responsible way to implement license plate readers as a technol-
ogy,” O’Connell tells the Scene via Zoom in August, a few days after he started isolating due to an inconvenient COVID diagnosis. As a councilmember, O’Connell voted against LPR approval and echoed his colleagues’ pleas for caution. “We knew that multiple, long-standing, highly credible organizations that represent a variety of different parts of Nashville’s communities of color expressed profound concerns there. But if we’re going to expand this program, or even make it permanent, the best thing to do from a broad public-trust standpoint would be to involve the voices that express the most concern. That’s exactly what I would hope to do from the mayor’s office.”
While the Titans and Mayor Cooper coordinated a full-throated push for billions in taxpayer money to fund a new domed stadium on the city’s East Bank, O’Connell saw a bad deal and an early plank that aligned his mayoral campaign with pissed-off Nashvillians. O’Connell separated himself from the mayoral field with his vocal opposition to the stadium lease and had the chance to actually vote against the deal, which sailed through the council early this spring.
“Metro legal, Metro finance and the mayor’s office seemed more interested in getting a deal done quickly that revised a lease we knew was bad, but left us with a different set of risks and obligations,” says O’Connell when asked if there was any play left on the $2.1 billion stadium deal. “But I don’t intend to undo any element of the deal. We have a contract now, and I’m not going to say to Metro legal, ‘Let’s sue ourselves or the sports authority,’ or anything like that. What I would say is, I hope to continue working with the Titans as a good-faith partner. It’s important to me to secure favorable terms for Metro in affordable housing commitments or infrastructure commitments
to make sure the East Bank succeeds more broadly.”
Throughout 2022, O’Connell built his campaign for mayor on the ambient feeling (backed by polling) that the city has been on the wrong track for years. “I want you to stay,” a message emblazoned on early campaign materials, was a plea to his fellow Nashvillians not to give up on a city that has for many become unrecognizable, alienating and prohibitively expensive. Its bouncier counterpart — “More ’Ville, Less Vegas!” — is emblazoned on the back of O’Connell campaign T-shirts. He took on the billionaires and bachelorettes in another popular campaign ad.
A runoff with conservative Alice Rolli was O’Connell’s dream scenario. He has not had to prove to a moderate city that his opponent sits too far to the right, because Rolli has done it for him. She’s argued that state lawmakers, seen by many Davidson County voters as radical extremists intent on attacking Nashville, will listen to her because she agrees with them. Her “Taxpayer Protection Pledge,” an oath against tax hikes offered to elected officials by the D.C.-based activist group Americans for Tax Reform, reads like a stunt from a bygone era. Rolli’s direct connections to MAGA Republicans and her former consulting firm’s affinity for far-right militant organization the Proud Boys were gifts that O’Connell didn’t even ask for.
In the general election, O’Connell beat her across the county. In places like Joelton and Bellevue, where Rolli won a few precincts narrowly, middling Democrats like Matt Wiltshire, Heidi Campbell and Jeff Yarbro split votes that will presumably go to O’Connell in the runoff. Closer to the city, O’Connell will look to improve on already substantial margins. ■
In an unusually quiet runoff, Rolli is trying to move from the commentariat to the mayor’s office while facing several hurdles: She doesn’t have a lot of money and isn’t running a very robust campaign on the airwaves (or, anecdotally at least, in the streets); she is an unabashed Republican in a county that voted against Trump by more than 30 points; and she is facing an opponent in O’Connell who has consolidated support from many of the city’s top elected officials, labor unions, pro-business groups and leftleaning interest groups, not to mention the third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishers in the first round of voting for mayor.
Obvious comparisons to the 2015 election have been made. Rolli, like her treasurer Fox, emerged from a crowded first round of voting in part thanks to a high floor of conservative support and left-leaning votes divided among a half-dozen serious candidates. Now she, like Fox, faces a liberal member of the Metro Council. But Fox had a track record in public office, having served on the Metro school board. And Fox was running before Trump’s election as president and an overall shift in national politics that seems to have soured some of the centrist and independent voters who make up the bulk of the Nashville electorate toward the GOP brand. And Fox lost by more than 10,000 votes.
But Rolli isn’t deterred.
“Eight years ago, the majority of voters believed we were going in the right direction — David was presenting a change from that direction,” says Rolli, a Nashville native who worked on Republican campaigns and in the administration of GOP Gov. Bill Haslam. “ … A majority of Nashville voters didn’t want a change. What’s different today is that the overwhelming majority believe the city is going in the wrong direction. If we do what we did eight years ago, which is
elect a city councilperson who’s served as part of where we’ve gotten, and we move them over to the mayor’s office, I think there are a lot of parallels. I think the voters today say we’ve got to reset how we’re doing things here. Nashville voters are saying to us, ‘We need to bring a different approach to how we manage the city.’”
In order to beat the long odds, Rolli would need to run a more-or-less mistake-free campaign. She has not.
SEP 8 & 9 Festival of the Nations Celebration
SEP 10 & 17 El Jefe Presents Fiesta Day
Wednesday, Sept. 13-Meet local brew masters with their most popular concoctions in our courtyard during the BuckShee BrewFest & toast to the jams of COWBOYS & HIPPIES! Sampling limited to the first 400 BrewGoers! The BrewFest starts at 6:30pm (included with fair admission.)
with Cameron Jayne SEP 14
Enjoy nightly Bluegrass and Americana music in our Creative Arts Building
One of her first stops after making the runoff was at a Wilson County meeting of the Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee, a group of party leaders who were in the midst of chastising Gov. Bill Lee for calling a special legislative session in response to the Covenant School shooting. Then she cut ties with her top campaign consultant after she learned of his past statements in support of the far-right Proud Boys and an insurrection. (The consultant says Rolli knew all along, and that he quit of his own accord.)
Asked by the Nashville Banner about both instances, she responded more or less the same: “Probably should have thought about it a little bit more.”
Those types of ties to the right are the kind that can motivate sleepy Nashville voters in exactly the wrong way, generating enthusiasm for O’Connell and turning the nonpartisan election into a referendum on the modern Republican Party. But Rolli is also touting her ties to Republicans as a benefit in the race. She says she will have an easier time working with the GOP-dominated state legislature because she is one of them.
Rolli even thinks she can get the state legislature, in recent years at war with Nashville, to redistribute state revenues more evenly, benefiting Metro and, in some cases, hurting their districts. She also thinks she can work with GOP Rutherford County Mayor Joe Carr (who ran against, and nearly beat, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander in the 2014
This story is a partnership between the Nashville Banner and the Nashville Scene. For more information, visit NashvilleBanner.com.
OF THE 21 CANDIDATES running for the Metro Council’s five at-large seats in the general election, only one candidate — Zulfat Suara — secured enough votes to win outright. That means eight candidates are now vying for the four remaining at-large seats in the Sept. 14 runoff.
When the ballot was finalized in May, the Nashville Banner asked questions of each council candidate on a range of major issues that the current Metro Council faced (and that the next Metro Council may face as well). We have compiled their answers into these mini profiles for each at-large candidate who qualified for the runoff on Aug. 3. If you would like to read their full answers, visit the Banner’s Voter’s Guide page, and find in-depth interviews with all eight of
Republican primary when Rolli was Alexander’s campaign manager) to get the state legislature to allow the two counties to institute development impact fees.
“How to have that conversation with the state is to come at it from a conservative position that says, ‘I want when you are here in Nashville to make sure that our police call times are not as long as they are right now,’” she says. “We need this to be a safe city. Part of that is saying we will prioritize the funding of our police force and letting our police officers do their job.”
She does indeed have ties to Republicans in the legislature. Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, the Williamson County Republican who led the charge against Metro this year, donated to her campaign. So did Republican state Sens. Mark Pody, Ken Yager, Richard Briggs, Shane Reeves and Frank Niceley, and Rep. Sam Whitson. Franklin Mayor Ken Moore and Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson gave money too, as did retired Republican leaders Bill Frist and Don Sundquist.
But Republican support for Rolli isn’t universal, or particularly energetic.
Victor Ashe, the former mayor of Knoxville and an ambassador in the Bush administration who maintains strong ties among the Tennessee GOP elite, says Rolli asked him for help identifying potential financial supporters in Knoxville, but he declined.
“I was surprised and disagreed with her failure to be outspoken in opposition to the state takeover of the airport,” Ashe says. “I
expressed that to her.”
Ashe says he would have used every legislative connection he had to fight a takeover of the Knoxville airport when he was mayor. Rolli, instead, wants to meet the state in the middle on most of their ongoing fights.
“In the case for the airport authority, there is probably a place for the state to have a seat there,” she says.
Rolli’s pitch as she runs for mayor is that the city is heading in the wrong direction, its finances are shit and crime is out of control. She makes two main promises as she campaigns: She will not raise taxes, and she will hire more police officers. That means money has to come from somewhere (presuming Rolli is unable to get the state to simply redistribute tax revenues in a manner more favorable to Nashville) — as prices rise, Metro employees are promised pay increases, and continued growth puts additional stress on the city’s infrastructure.
In an interview in June, Rolli proposed that cuts to the Metro Department of Parks and Recreation could be a solution. In a more recent conversation, she expanded on the idea, arguing that she meant the city was spending too much on middle managers across the board.
“What I think people feel broadly in the city — and it’s not just in Parks, but it’s also in our teaching positions and in our police force — is that the frontline is less staffed than it needs to be, and there may be too many layers,” she says.
Rolli also notes that continued growth in
the city, and resultant increases in property tax revenue, could help offset the need for further tax increases.
Like Mayor John Cooper, with whom she worked to protect the old Greer Stadium site from development, Rolli got her start in politics advocating for her neighborhood. (They both had politically involved fathers, too.) She tweeted and showed up to Metro boards to testify about issues in and around her Edgehill neighborhood: about Belmont’s use of Rose Park, about an increase in short-term rentals, about a disruptive apartment proposal and most of all about Fort Negley and Greer Stadium.
And though she has built a campaign describing the things that are wrong in Nashville, and she frequently laments the string of Metro councilmembers who have been elected mayor, including her old ally Cooper, she did not get into the race until after he got out of it. Rolli acknowledges that the past four years — with a pandemic, a tornado and a bombing — have been tough, and moves made by Cooper (including, unmentioned, a major tax hike in 2020) have improved the city’s finances.
“Frankly, I wouldn’t have seen a path that said how are we going to bring this city together if it was fighting against the person who had tried to hold the city together through that period of time,” she says.
Perhaps she should have heeded @AliceRolli1’s 2018 advice: “Friends don’t let Friends run for office!” ■
these candidates via nashvillescene.com/ elections.
Burkley Allen received 7.97 percent of the vote in the general election, securing the second spot in the runoff. She is running for a second term as councilmember at-large, and previously served two terms as the District 18 council representative. She voted in favor of both the Titans stadium deal and license plate readers (LPRs) but does not support use of facial recognition technology by the city. Affordable housing is one of her top priorities, and as a councilmember, not only has she participated in the affordable housing task force, but she also worked to pass multiple pieces of housing-related legislation, including one allowing people to build detached accessory dwelling units in their backyard. She played a significant role in regulating short-term rentals, requiring permits and enforcement. She says the city needs to secure dedicated funding for transit and believes community engagement will be an essential aspect of getting people on board to avoid a failure similar to the transit referendum that was defeated in 2018.
She was one of the highest fundraisers among the at-large candidates, and received endorsements from the Fraternal Order of Police, the Nashville Business Coalition and the Central Labor Council. Throughout the election season, it was uncommon to go to any mayoral forums or political events without seeing Allen there
wearing a big button with her name on it.
Chris Cheng received 5.78 percent of the vote in the general election, securing the seventh spot in the runoff. He might be recognizable from his hot sauce business, Hot Sauce Nashville, which he owns with his wife and sells at local farmers markets. He was also a captain in the U.S. Army, serving as a Ranger. One of his top priorities is supporting small businesses, and he says he hopes the new Titans’ stadium deal will encourage people to spend more money at local restaurants and businesses. On the question of more police and LPRs, he says he’s open to discussion and wants to ensure there are open lines of communication to see what is best for the city. He wants to explore options for dedicated transit funding, and as well as upgrading bus services, wants to encourage regional transit systems.
Of the at-large candidates who made the runoff, Cheng raised the least money. He received endorsements from the Fraternal Order of Police, SEIU Local 105 and the Central Labor Council.
Quin Evans-Segall received 6.78 percent of the vote in the general election, securing the fifth spot in the runoff. She serves on Metro’s Industrial De-
velopment Board. Although the IDB is typically a somewhat invisible government body, during her time on the board she pushed back on deals the city cut, such as one with Montgomery Bell Academy. She co-founded Voices for a Safer Tennessee and has served on several nonprofit and community boards and committees, and is a lawyer by day. Her top priorities involve updating city government to be more effective and efficient and better able to carry out vital tasks such as updating the bus system. She does not think the Titans’ stadium plan was a good deal, and she has concerns over LPR usage.
Evans-Segall was the highest spender in pre-general campaign finance disclosures, but went into the runoff with one of the smallest amounts of cash on hand, second only to Cheng. She received endorsements from the Nashville Justice League, SEIU Local 205 and Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Votes.
Olivia Hill received 6.78 percent of the vote in the runoff election, securing the third spot in the runoff. She first made a name for herself when she sued Vanderbilt University over allegedly discriminating against her because she’s transgender. She has worked to advocate for women and the LGBTQ community. A veteran of the Navy, she says her top priorities are infrastructure, homelessness and transportation. She does not believe the city should use LPRs. While she did not take a position on
With
the Titans’ stadium deal, she now wants to focus on the surrounding neighborhoods and update the transportation and utilities downtown. She believes we need to expand the bus system and establish a dedicated funding source for transit.
Of the candidates in the runoff, Hill raised the third-most money in the pre-general disclosure period, and spent nearly as much as she raised. She received endorsements from the Nashville Justice League, the Nashville Business Coalition and the Equity Alliance Fund.
Howard Jones received 6.65 percent of the vote in the runoff election, securing the fourth spot in the runoff. He might be a familiar name to anyone who has voted in Nashville recently, as he has run for office multiple times, including a bid for Circuit Court judge last year. He has worked as an assistant high school principal, a senior pastor and a community organizer. His top priority is community safety, and he says he believes the city needs more police officers beyond the unfilled positions. He says he would not have voted for the Titans’ stadium deal, and he supports LPR usage and facial recognition technology. He says he believes that if the city can do a deal like the Titans’ stadium, it should be able to put together a $1 billion plan to address affordable housing. He would support a dedicated funding source for transit and says WeGo should be updated to support the city’s needs.
Jones did not turn in a pre-general financial disclosure, and was reported to the state by the Davidson County Election Commission. He received an endorsement from the Equity Alliance Fund.
Delishia Porterfield received 9.06 percent of the vote in the general election, less than 1 percent off of the 10 percent threshold required to win the seat outright, finishing in the first spot in the runoff. She is one of the three district councilmembers running, but the only one who is not term-limited. She was first elected to District 29 in 2019 through a special election, before winning the seat in the general election that August. She was against the Titans’ stadium deal, does not support usage of LPRs, and rather than invest in more police officers, wants to invest in affordable housing, creating well-paying jobs and other community programming to decrease crime. She is one of the few candidates who definitively says a property tax adjustment will be required in the next four years to meet the city’s needs. She joined Suara in the lawsuit against the state over legislation to cut the Metro Council in half, and has been an outspoken voice against many of the state’s actions during the past session. She also made headlines when she led the charge to reinstate state Rep. Justin Jones after his expulsion, which was notable because Jones beat her for the District 52 state House seat in the 2022 election.
Porterfield received endorsements from the Nashville Justice League, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Votes and the Equity Alliance Fund.
Russ Pulley received 5.88 percent of the vote in the general election, securing the sixth spot in the runoff. Pulley is termlimited in District 25. He is a retired FBI agent and spent 24 years officiating college football in the Southeastern Conference. He has participated in various community organizations and church groups in the Green Hills area. He voted yes on the Titans’ stadium deal, wants to invest in more police and “strongly” supports LPR usage. Crime, public safety and affordability are some of his top priorities. During the 2020 budget cycle, he pushed for a $2 million increase in the Metro Nashville Police Department budget, despite an attempt from current at-large Councilmember Bob Mendes to strip that from the budget. Recently, he was a primary opponent of a bill from District 5 Councilmember Sean Parker that redefined “family” in the zoning code, allowing more unrelated individuals to live in a single household.
Pulley went into the runoff with the thirdmost cash on hand. He received endorsements from the Fraternal Order of Police and the Nashville Business Coalition.
Jeff Syracuse received 5.42 percent of the vote in the general election, securing the final runoff spot. He is one of three district councilmembers vying for a promotion to an at-large seat, wrapping up his second term as the District 15 representative in the Donelson area. He voted in favor of both the Titans’ stadium deal and LPRs. He has spent his career working in the music industry, and during his two terms placed a strong emphasis on preserving the music business in Nashville. He is in favor of Nashville dedicating funding to transit and increasing WeGo’s bus services. Syracuse also has played a big role in advocating for better trash pickup, and pressuring Red River, a waste service contractor, to be more consistent with their pickups. He was also responsible for legislation late last year that banned smoking in bars and concert venues, a bill that was met with contention from local dive bars. He supports having another transit referendum and wants to see a big emphasis on regional transit.
Syracuse has been campaigning for atlarge for longer than anyone in the pool. And as the top fundraiser, his finances show it. His fundraising numbers frequently put him at the top of the pack, and his cash on hand nearly doubled the numbers of the second-place campaign. His failure to spend some of it — he had $191,000 cash on hand in his last disclosure — nearly cost him the runoff. He has received endorsements from the Fraternal Order of Police, the Nashville Business Coalition and LiUNA! Local 386. ■
NASHVILLE SAW LOTS of close races on Aug. 3. In Madison’s Metro Council District 9, for instance, newcomer Stephanie Montenegro came within 40 votes of incumbent Tonya Hancock. Ultimately, 32 of the council’s 35 seats saw a victor on election night. But three districts with crowded fields didn’t see any candidates break the 50 percent threshold, meaning the contests for Districts 4, 11 and 29 will be decided in the Sept. 14 runoff.
Below is some context on each of the three races.
Just 53 votes separated first-place finisher Davette Blalock and runner-up Mike Cortese in the general election race for District 4, which covers the Nippers Corner neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the county. Blalock, a real estate agent, previously served as a District 27 councilmember from 2011 to 2019, and ran an unsuccessful campaign for state House District 53 as a Republican in 2016. Cortese, meanwhile, is an adjunct professor at Belmont University, and previously lost to outgoing District 4 Councilmember Robert Swope in 2019.
Swope, who wanted to bring the Republican National Convention to Nashville during his term, endorsed Blalock in the general election, and has said the council should build a bridge with the state legislature’s Republican supermajority. Blalock seems to agree, telling the Scene’s Hannah Herner in June: “There just needs to be more conversations between the state and the council. I think [state lawmakers] have no idea what the majority of the council feels and desires.”
Cortese has said he’d like to hold monthly town halls with his constituents, and touts his ability to build a bipartisan coalition. “I have people who voted for Donald Trump twice with my signs in their yard, and I have people who voted for Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden with my signs in their yard,” Cortese told the Scene early this summer.
Lots of eyes are on the District 11 race, where two diametrically opposed candidates have made it to the runoff. Out of a four-man field, Jeff Eslick finished with 1,142 votes on Election Day, while Eric Patton trailed right behind at 1,086. Seen by many as a last bastion of Old Nashville, District 11 borders Old Hickory Lake at the eastern
edge of the county.
Eslick owns Slick Media Productions and has worked closely with divisive conservative Lower Broadway bar owner Steve Smith, who also owns land in District 11. Ahead of the general election, Eslick’s company produced an attack ad directed at mayoral candidate Freddie O’Connell, which Smith paid for. “Metro Council doesn’t need another political activist,” says Eslick on his website, “but someone who will focus on the basics that go into making safe, flourishing neighborhoods.” He says he wants to limit homeless encampments in the area and manage growth.
Patton, on the other hand, received endorsements from progressive groups including Planned Parenthood and TIRRC Votes ahead of the general election. Director of client relations at Artemis CPA, Patton has not previously run for office, but is active in the LGBTQ community and has worked with the Human Rights Campaign. He wants to focus on schools, city services and small business, telling the Scene in June: “It feels like we’re getting left behind by people who want to keep us small. We’re growing, but we’re not growing like the rest of town.”
District 29 incumbent Delishia Porterfield opted to run for an at-large seat this cycle rather than pursuing a second term in her district, opening up a fourperson race. On Election Day, Tasha Ellis earned 911 votes to represent the Percy Priest Lake-adjacent district — about 112 votes shy of the 50 percent she would have needed to win outright. John Reed trailed behind with 484 votes.
Ellis has worked for the Tennessee Democratic Party and started a consulting firm. She has said her priorities as a councilmember will include infrastructure upgrades and combating street racing and other prevalent crimes in the southeastern portion of the county. Reed also runs a business and has worked on campaigns for Councilmembers Gloria Hausser, Zach Young and Thom Druffel. A member of the LGBTQ community, Reed is focused on traffic issues in the district, as well as a need for transit and walkable neighborhoods throughout all of Davidson County.
Hannah Herner, Braden Simmons and Kelsey Beyeler contributed reporting for this story.
[DEEP IN THE ROCK]
MUSIC
BULLY
The framework of Bully’s fourth album Lucky for You is about project principal Alicia Bognanno processing the death of her dog Mezzi, who died in 2022. But there’s much more radiating out from the central theme of grief and how to keep living after it. Bognanno spent more than a decade working extremely hard at growing from a gifted young musician into a top-notch singing, songwriting, producing, multiinstrumentalist rock ’n’ roll force of nature — all while navigating the music industry, living through the Trump administration, treating mental illness, managing chronic health issues, getting sober and more. For 13 years, Mezzi was a vital source of unconditional love while voices from inside as well as outside pressed in on Bognanno; it’s a relationship that she told
SEPT. 6-7
joined
and
incredible collection
songs
you’ll be able to hear in person on Thursday when Bognanno and her band bring their tour in for a homecoming stop at Brooklyn Bowl. Get there on time so you don’t miss Bev Rage and the Drinks, a ferocious queerpositive Chicago punk group fronted by drag queen extraordinaire Beverly Rage.
8 p.m. at Brooklyn Bowl, 925 Third Ave. N.
STEPHEN TRAGESER[WHEN I WAS YOUNGER]
THE TENNESSEE WARBLERS
I’m an honorary member of what The Tennessee Warblers call “Nashville’s vibrant bluegrass and Grateful Dead community” in a description of their 2022 album Small Town Songs. This means I try not to think about the Dead unless someone forces me to weigh in on how I think the group sounded in May 1973, but I do occasionally sit down with some bluegrass.
John Beck to cut Small Town Songs in 2018 in the Nashvilleadjacent city of Madison, and it’s a relaxed outing that features songs by Dalton and Beck along with covers of tunes by John Prine, Mac Rebennack, Ronnie Lane and Ronnie Wood and, yeah, Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter. The Warblers do well with Prine’s “Grandpa Was a Carpenter” and the Faces’ “Ooh La La,” not least because they’re foolproof tunes. Still, it’s the duo’s rather strange originals that impress me on Small Town Songs. I’m not sure what they mean when they write, “Would you ever catch Gatsby without Bicardi [sic]” in “Elliott’s Ice,” and I assume they mean to reference Bacardi rum. It’s possible that F. Scott Fitzgerald mentions Bacardi in The Great Gatsby. (He does talk about Gin Rickeys, but I haven’t read it in 30 years.)
“Elliott’s Ice” is a song about trying to buy ice at any price so you can stay cool enough to get laid. The rest of Small Town Songs
makes me happy to know the Nashville bluegrass-Dead community is thriving — one of these days I’ll listen to Europe ’72 while I eat a hot catfish sandwich. 6 p.m. at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge, 102 E. Palestine Ave., Madison EDD HURT
MUSIC [80’S BABY]
JILL ANDREWS
On Aug. 18, Nashville singer-songwriter
Jill Andrews released Modern Age, her first solo album in more than three years. Andrews is best known for her work with indie-folk/alt-country acts The Everybodyfields and Hush Kids, and Modern Age finds her working once again with producer Lucas Morton, and the result is a pleasing 10-song collection of soft rock steeped in nostalgic themes. “The album for me is about looking back,” she says. “It’s a juxtaposition of childhood and adulthood … and figuring out where I belong within it all.” Andrews is in the midst of a tour of the U.S. and the U.K. that includes a stop in her
hometown Thursday night with a headlining appearance at Bobby Hotel’s Backyard Sessions — backyard-style performances at the hotel’s rooftop lounge. Andrews, who in addition to singing plays acoustic and electric guitar, is backed on the tour by Alec Newnam on bass, Chris Farney on drums and Dustin Ransom on electric guitar, keys and backing vocals. Special guest Sam Johnston opens the free show. 7 p.m. at Bobby Hotel Rooftop Lounge, 230 Fourth Ave. N. DARYL SANDERS
[WHEELS ON THE BUS GO ROUND AND ROUND]
The Windy City noise rockers formerly known as BUSSING have rechristened themselves as King Sans following the duo’s most recent single “Cultborn,” released earlier this month. Goth-industrial riffs engulf the prog protest anthem, highlighting the burgeoning group’s frenetic performance through a wall of fuzz. The thunderous Izabella Rose propels the track while bassist/vocalist Jake Steven James bellows overtop: “Dissect that mind until it’s not hers anymore / Perfect servant to the masters of God / Guilt, guilt, guilty party, guilt.” Nashville marks their final tour stop outside of Illinois this year. Local emocore acolytes Sugar in the Gas Tank — fresh off the pop-punk resurgence à la Blink-182 and other early-Aughts reunions — is also on the bill. Grunge darlings Herly Berly as well as Calling the Cops kick things off. 8 p.m. at The Cobra, 2511 Gallatin Pike
JASON VERSTEGENThe summer may be winding down, but one of my very favorite traditions of the season is back this weekend as Nashville Shakespeare Festival returns to OneC1TY with the Bard’s fast-paced comedy Much Ado About Nothing. Director Denice Hicks has set the familiar tale in 1973 Nashville, offering a fun “blend of nostalgia and contemporary relevance.” Audiences can look forward to sassy styles of the era and plenty of great music from singer-songwriter Larysa Jaye. And, of course, it all wraps up with a big dance party full of peace, love and understanding. Pack a picnic or check out the on-site food trucks — either way, it’s a wonderful way to spend an evening under the stars with family and friends. The festival is free, with a suggested donation of $10. To learn more, visit nashvilleshakes.org. Aug. 31-Sept. 24 at OneC1TY Nashville, 8 City Blvd.; Sept. 28-Oct 1. at Williamson County Performing Arts Center, 12 Everbright Ave., Franklin
AMY STUMPFLZac Farro joined Paramore when he was just 14 and has played drums on all but one album by the celebrated Middle Tennessee rockers. While the band dabbled
with electronic instruments on the album they released during his four-year absence, Farro fully embraced warm, sweeping synthpop through his HalfNoise solo project. When he returned to the group for 2017’s After Laughter, the result was a critically acclaimed, New Wave-tinged blend of both sounds. Fans of that album will love Farro’s output since. Natural Disguise came out in fall 2019 but is one of my favorite late-summer listens, featuring all the groove you’d expect from a drummer’s solo project. It’s just super fun music to dance and sing along to — something tens of thousands of music lovers learned when Farro took center stage to perform HalfNoise track “Baby” during Paramore’s Bonnaroo set this summer. HalfNoise will play an Exit/In show full of locals that will also feature indie rocker Elke (Kayla Graninger, who is also Farro’s partner), Kelton Young’s Dream Wave and DJ sets by Becca Mancari. 7 p.m. at Exit/In, 2208 Elliston Place COLE VILLENA
[WHO SAYS ROMANCE IS DEAD?]
FILM
LOVERS ON THE LAM: TRUE ROMANCE
The Belcourt’s Weekend Classics:
Lovers on the Lam, which began in August and ends over Labor Day weekend, has been one of my favorite repertory series the local arthouse has curated so far this year. It’s hard to top the combination of two of film’s most alluring subjects — love and death — and as a movie obsessive, it’s hard for me not to have 1993’s True Romance as my favorite of the subgenre. Not only is the protagonist Clarence Worley (Christian Slater as a stand-in for the film’s screenwriter Quentin Tarantino) as much of a movie nerd as I am, but the cast is a murderers’ row of ’90s actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer and on and on. But beyond the lineup of bad guys, the film hinges on the endlessly enduring charm of Patricia Arquette as the other half of the lovers-on-the-run duo, Alabama Whitman. Sept. 1 & 4 at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave. LOGAN BUTTS
FILM
office, it’s safe to say that a sizable chunk of the moviegoing public is well aware of leading man Ryan Gosling’s skills as a comedic actor. But long before that role, and just before his Oscar-nominated turn in La La Land, Gosling gave what is quite possibly the greatest performance of his career with 2016’s unimpeachable The Nice Guys. Written and directed by formidable screenwriter Shane Black (Lethal Weapon 1 and 2, Last Action Hero, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), The Nice Guys co-stars Gosling and Russell Crowe as a hapless pair of sleuths in late-’70s Southern California. Ostensibly hired to hunt down a missing porn star, Holland March (Gosling, charming and bumbling) and Jackson Healy (Crowe, rumpled but powerful) stumble into something much bigger — as is always the case with a good noir film. With a top-shelf cast of character actors and a script loaded with laugh lines that never once miss, The Nice Guys is somehow as compelling as it is funny and is genuinely one of my favorite films of the past decade. Somehow it only really broke even at the box office in its original theatrical run, but here’s a fun chance to see it on the big screen as part of the Belcourt’s ongoing Midnight Movies series — and a chance to see if I’m the only person who laughs himself to tears at the Crowe/Gosling bathroom scene. Featuring an intro from the Scene’s own film critic Jason Shawhan. Midnight at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave. D. PATRICK RODGERS
[WE’RE NUMBER 91.1!]
MUSIC
Since launching in late 2020, the Nashville Public Radio-affiliated WNXP has campaigned pretty hard to become your favorite radio station for music discovery in Nashville. We’re not complaining — their emphasis on live events means the station has churned out a host of great in-studio performances and interviews and two anniversary parties featuring both local heroes and international touring acts. This year, they’ve designated Sept. 1 as “91 Day” and will celebrate with local arts, decor and vintage clothing vendors, food from Black Box Ice Cream and Chivanada, a photo booth and, of course, live music. As you might expect from artists at a WNXP event, the performers represent three different spaces on the musical spectrum: hip-hop (Six One Trïbe), punk rock (Gloom Girl MFG) and indie rock (Wilby). 8 p.m. at The Blue Room at Third Man Records, 623 Seventh Ave. S. COLE VILLENA
ART [BRICK BY SOARING BRICK] BRICKUNIVERSE LEGO FAN EXPO
[DON’T SAY ‘AND STUFF’]
MIDNIGHT MOVIE: THE NICE GUYS
Now that Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is north of a billion dollars at the box
“If you build it, they will come.” The mantra, which seemed to apply well in the classic A Field of Dreams, also seems to be the mantra for many at BrickUniverse’s Lego Fan Expo. This weekend event is sure to showcase one-of-a-kind creations on display that you can’t simply find in a box. These professional builders will showcase the fact that the only limitation to creating with Legos is your imagination,
a v i n g t o g e t h e r t h e s t r a n d s o f h e r s t o r i e s w i t h a d y n a m i c a l t o v o i c e a n d i n v e n t i v e y e t m e m o r a b l e m e l o d i e s , s h e m a n a g e s t o c r e a t e a s o u n d t h a t i s b o t h s o u l f u l a n d u n i q u e .
each other and would rather drive off into the sunset (or drive off something that’s really, really high) than deal with men and their bullshit another minute further. Khouri herself will participate in a pre-screening discussion Sunday at noon. Sept. 3-4 at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave. CRAIG D. LINDSEY
[ANOTHER
JOY OLADOKUN & MORE
The Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra turns 20 years old this fall, and new documentary Room to Play explores the history and camaraderie of the all-volunteer assembly of musicians. The black-and-white film, directed by Joe Gomez and produced by Vanita Joines (the filmmakers are also a married couple), follows the orchestra’s 2022-23 season and features interviews with the musicians and the nonprofit’s staff. While the orchestra boasts more than 100 concerts in its two-decade history, as well as collaborations with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the filmmakers focus on the friendship and community that gather around a shared passion for music. 7 p.m. at the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave. ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ
[CLASH OF THE ORANGE]
with creations including just about anything you can think of. Previous stops on the tour featured models of landmarks like New York City, locations from the Star Wars universe, a tabletop raceway and a lot more. There will even be a chance to build your own creation and search through various sets that may be for sale. The fifth stop of the 2023 Inspire Tour, it is sure to bring about childlike awe and excitement as these creations surround attendees. Middle Tennessee’s own resident Lego maniac, MiniSuperHeroesToday’s Johnathan Pushkar, is set to make an appearance. So, come on down to “Brick Town” and see all of the amazingness it has to offer. Sept. 2-3 at Farm Bureau Exposition Center, 945 E. Baddour Parkway, Lebanon BRADEN SIMMONS MUSIC
Nissan Stadium is no stranger to college football games. Between Tennessee State playing its home games in the house that head coach Eddie George built, and the end-of-season SEC-Big Ten showdown in the Music City Bowl, the Titans’ home gets to host a number of college athletes throughout the fall football season. But seldom does an early-season FBS matchup take place at Nissan, which makes this year’s matchup between Tennessee and Virginia extra enticing for local sports fans. The Vols are ranked 12th in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 Poll and are coming off their most exciting season in decades, so expect Nissan Stadium to be packed with the program’s robust Middle Tennessee fandom. Be on the lookout for some local freshmen on both teams making their collegiate debuts: Smyrna’s Arion Carter, Mt. Juliet’s Ayden Bussell, Lipscomb Academy’s Nate Spillman, Donelson Christian Academy’s Dayton Sneed, Greenbrier’s Nathan Robinson, Christ Presbyterian Academy’s Caleb Williams, and Montgomery Bell Academy’s Claiborne Richards. 11 a.m. at Nissan Stadium, 1 Titans Way LOGAN BUTTS
A tribute to eclectic rock icon Captain
Beefheart at The Blue Room? With a lineup featuring a piece of his longtime backing group The Magic Band, a Saturday Night Live comedian and a slew of uber-talented musicians? Sounds like a one-of-a-kind show, even for Nashville. Set for Saturday night at Third Man Records’ after-hours haunt, the show dedicated to Beefheart’s avant-garde catalog includes appearances from Dr. Dog bassist-vocalist Toby Leaman, SNL cast member and native Nashvillian James Austin Johnson, William Tyler, Nikki Barber of The Minks, Lauren “LG” Gilbert of Thelma and The Sleaze and Denny Walley of Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band, among a handful of other artists. Solo artist and Dr. Dog drummer Eric Slick hosts the tribute. Proceeds benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, according to the Blue Room website; Beefheart died in 2010 from the chronic nervous system disease. 8 p.m. at The Blue Room at Third Man Records, 623 Seventh Ave. S.
MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLERFILM
[SO THEY DID]
The Belcourt closes its Lovers on the Lam series with an amusingly unconventional selection: Ridley Scott’s 1991 road movie Thelma & Louise, where two fed-up Arkansas gal pals (played by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon) go on a girls’ trip and become wanted fugitives after committing a liberating crime spree that includes killing a rapist, robbing a convenience store, blowing up a fuel tanker and picking up Brad Pitt’s slippery drifter for some late-night motel high jinks. The movie became not only an Oscar-winning hit (screenwriter Callie Khouri — who later created the nighttime soap Nashville — won a well-deserved Best Original Screenplay Oscar), but also a cause célèbre for all women who feel oppressed by our maledominated society. While an ad-libbed kiss at the end hints at a sapphic subtext, it’s still essentially about two women who care for
Right after they reconfigured their former restaurant Anzie Blue as a venue under the new name AB Hillsboro Village earlier this year, owners Marcie Allen Van Mol and Derek Van Mol made headlines by doing something super cool: hosting an inclusive prom for nonbinary high school senior B Hayes. On Labor Day, they’ll host a festival — across the street in the parking lot of much-loved arthouse theater the Belcourt — stacked with songwriting talent. Among the standouts on the bill is Memphis soul outfit Southern Avenue, but the majority of the lineup draws on Nashville’s music communities. One of those artists is your headliner, folk-pop-rocker Joy Oladokun; in the wake of her phenomenal LP Proof of Life, she’s been playing shows that function a bit like group therapy — in the way that great concerts always have. You also won’t want to miss R&B-schooled pop songsmith Brooke Alexx, who’s been making waves with singles like “All My Exes’ Moms” (fun flex: said exes’ moms appear in the music vid, which Alexx wrote and directed); country singer Denitia, who recently returned to Nashville after a long time in New York; and many more. WKRN’s Blake Eason is your emcee, comedian Josh Black will perform, there’ll be a DJ set from District 19 councilmember and mayoral candidate Freddie O’Connell, and you’ll find tons of vendors selling food and other wares. Admission is free, but you must reserve a ticket via AB Hillsboro Village’s website, where you can also find the full lineup; a $20 donation to support the Belcourt is suggested. 1-11 p.m. outside the Belcourt, 2102 Belcourt Ave STEPHEN TRAGESER
[SONGS WITH A CAUSE]
As Tennesseans — and many throughout the U.S. — continue to fight for reproductive rights, a handful of Nashville artists are rallying to raise funds and awareness for abortion access. Set for Wednesday night at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville — Germantown’s hybrid concert hall and bowling alley — the Benefit Concert for Abortion Access includes an ace lineup of country crooners, tenured folk storytellers and fast-rising artists in the city’s Americana scene. Sierra Ferrell and Nikki Lane top the bill, which also features Aaron Lee Tasjan, Caroline Spence, Fancy Hagood, Katie Pruitt, Kyshona, Eric Slick and Jaime Wyatt, among others. National nonprofit organizer Noise for Now curates the show; proceeds from the event are set to benefit Access Reproductive Care Southeast, and CHOICES Center for Reproductive Health, according to the Brooklyn Bowl website. 8 p.m. at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, 925 Third Ave. N. MATTHEW LEIMKUEHLER
[LOSING THE BOOZE]
Nationally known author Hilary Sheinbaum is coming to Nashville to sign copies of her book, The Dry Challenge: How to Lose the Booze for Dry January, Sober October, and Any Other Alcohol-Free Month, and to give locals tips on both having a social life and living a sober life. The book is designed to be a nonjudgmental guide with advice, recipes and interactive sidebars. “I’m
Hall produced six No. 1 hits and 29 Top 40 hits, and they were part of both the original Live Aid and We Are the World efforts. Oates is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a recipient of the prestigious BMI Icon Award. He’s made several solo albums, most recently Live From Nashville with the Good Road band, and was also a bestselling author with his 2017 autobiography Change of Season. Then there’s his charity work with his wife Aimee. Guthrie Trapp’s résumé is equally impressive. For starters, there’s the five years with Jerry Douglas and his appearances on acclaimed Patty Loveless LPs. Add collaborations with such musical greats as Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Tim O’Brien, Delbert McClinton, Rosanne Cash and “Cowboy” Jack Clement, to cite only a handful. Here’s a chance to see and enjoy Oates and Trapp showcasing their skills at the CMA music hall this week. 8 p.m. at the CMA Theater, 222 Fifth Ave. S. RON WYNN
so excited to meet more of the Nashville community to answer questions (judgmentfree!) and chat about my tips for Sober September, Sober October, and any other booze-free period,” Sheinbaum says. The event, which includes complimentary glasses of Freixenet Alcohol-Removed Sparkling Wines, will be held at Killjoy, the city’s nonalcoholic bottle shop. In addition to signing books, Sheinbaum will offer sober dating tips, talk about the benefits of temporary non-drinking periods, and answer questions about taking a hiatus from alcohol. Her first TEDx talk on all things alcohol-free will be available in September, too. 6 p.m. at The Loading Dock, 2028A Lindell Ave. MARGARET
LITTMAN
The combined backgrounds of John Oates and Guthrie Trapp include huge hits and collaborations with numerous greats in almost every idiom of popular music. Both are also master musicians, which makes this upcoming joint concert so appealing. Oates’ collaboration with Daryl
It’s not all that unusual to see dance companies incorporating technology or projections into their performances, particularly as a creative backdrop or design element. But Compagnie Käfig takes this idea to a whole new level with its electrifying work PIXEL, which opens next week at OZ Arts. Founded by the celebrated hip-hop artist and choreographer Mourad Merzouki and based in Lyon, France, Käfig is widely known for combining elements of hip-hop, contemporary dance and even cirque arts in fresh new ways. With PIXEL, the company actually uses innovative projection mapping to create a three-dimensional landscape for its dancers to partner with and explore. It’s a fascinating piece that “blurs the line between the real and virtual worlds” while showcasing the incredibly wide-ranging talents of these esteemed dancers. It’s hard to imagine a more exciting way to open OZ Arts’ 11th season. Sept. 6-7 at OZ Arts, 6172 Cockrill Bend Circle AMY STUMPFL
Finally at his own brick-andmortar, Michael Hanna shines at St. Vito Focacceria
BY KAY WESTWant to start a food fight? Bring up barbecue among Southerners, cheesesteaks to anyone from Philly, hot dogs to Chicagoans.
Want to instigate a full-on verbal war, replete with cussing, colorful insults, vulgar hand gestures, table pounding and self-inflicted head slaps? Mention pizza to a group of Italian American men — particularly those with ties to the Northeast — and let the games begin.
NashTalians can duke it out over Neapolitan, Chicago, Detroit and New York styles. (A moment of silence for Manny’s House of Pizza, which earlier this month announced its closing after a nearly 40-year run of superb pizza and an endless loop of behindthe-counter bickering, led by the legend, Manny Macca.) In a class by itself is a pie that is rectangular like Detroit and thick like Chicago. At Pizza Perfect and NY Pie, it’s on the menu as Sicilian. Inarguably, there is only one restaurant in Nashville that calls it by its rightful name — sfincione, a term also inarguably less familiar than Sicilian and harder to pronounce. (According to my exhaustive internet search, it’s sfeen-CHO-neh.)
St. Vito Focacceria is spelled out on individual gold-metal letters mounted on the side of the russet-painted section of a cinderblock building in a less-traveled pocket of the Gulch. But immediately inside the glass door, a rectangular lit sign hung from the ceiling, with bold red letters proclaiming “SFINCIONE TO GO,” announces the main attraction Beneath it is the small cocktail/wine/beer bar, which doubles as a pickup station. On the left wall, a bookcase is crammed with cookbooks, including the one — Made in Sicily by Giorgio Locatelli — that set St. Vito chef-owner Michael Hanna on the path to this interpretive expression of his heritage. At St. Vito, he simultaneously pays homage to the centuries-old recipe established in Sicily’s capital Palermo and puts a personal, contemporary spin on the composition.
Hanna is a mash-up of Sicilian maternal lineage, decades of family-owned restaurants and his own experience in kitchens ranging from meticulous, high-end, multicourse tweezer food at The Catbird Seat, to rustic peasant fare at Philip Krajeck’s Rolf and Daughters and Folk.
While furloughed by COVID, Hanna was flipping through Made in Sicily; the chapter on sfincione tapped into forgotten memories of eating it as a child, and it clicked. It’s all
about the bread.
Historically, sfincione traces its roots back to the 17th century, when the nuns in the small St. Vito monastery created the original recipe of bread, bechamel, chicken offal and peas. Chefs for an Italian prince in a small village outside Palermo replaced bechamel with cheese, and chicken and peas with sardines. Through the years, it morphed and developed into a home-cook and street-food dish with tomatoes, anchovies and onions.
Hanna got to work, developing a bread that leans more to Spanish ciabatta and is 100 percent hydrated, naturally leavened and fermented through a long, cold bulk method; he adds that his dough has a high percentage of oil and a little sugar. He experimented with sheet trays of the bread, adding cubes of fontina cheese to the dough before baking. He saw the bread as a canvas and began adding simple toppings. With encouragement from chef friends Trevor Moran, Andy Little and Tom Bayless, he created an Instagram account, started online sales through direct-message ordering and Venmo payments, with evening pickups at his house.
As literal word of mouth drove demand for his sfincione, he moved to a commissary kitchen at Hunters Station, then a small space at the Van Dyke, and penultimately a
weekly Sunday night takeover at Hathorne. He was approached by investors who didn’t work out, had a lease snatched away and lost funding until finally the right partner emerged, they found a space, and on May 24, opened St. Vito Focacceria.
The shotgun space is intimate and warmly lit with 13 comfortable swivel seats (with backs!) snug to a walnut bar overlooking the kitchen on one side; a long woodand-fabric upholstered banquette fronted with marble-topped tables adds seating for 30 more on the other. Green lamps mounted on the wall illuminate brass-lion-head wallpaper that looks as if it belongs in an ornate Italian drawing room.
Through multiple iterations, Hanna has settled on a menu of plates, sfincione and dolce, where pastry chef Mayme Gretsch plays.
Because plates lead the menu, you might start there, as we did. With seven to choose from, we selected the marinated zucchini, fresh peaches, hand-pulled mozzarella, Caesar salad and eggplant caponata. On the vegetable and fruit plates, the title produce — sourced primarily from Harpeth Moon Farm in Kingston Springs — was center stage, complemented and enhanced by complex preparations of vinaigrettes, sauces and supporting accoutrements. For instance, the Calabrian vinaigrette inspired
by a Thai laab dressing, pistachios and huckleberries with the charred zucchini; the Alabama peaches soaked in moscato d’Asti sparkling wine, barely visible under a blizzard of shaved aged Gouda; and the bowl of cold, cooked eggplant with confited lobster mushrooms, olives and intensely flavored tomato agrodolce made with sun-dried tomato paste.
Unfortunately, none of those dishes remain on the menu thanks to Hanna’s devotion to regional and seasonal availability, but I feel confident assuring future diners that whatever replaces them will be equally thoughtful, impressive and memorable. The mozzarella has been switched out to stracciatella, sometimes still presented with basil pesto, a ring of bay/parsley/basil oil, and toasted focaccia.
The Classic Vito and the potato sfincione will always be on the menu, and we tried a slice of each. Every sfincione is finished with a generous toss of breadcrumbs — panko fried in olive oil, seasoned with dried herbs, salt, pepper and dehydrated garlic and a heavy grate of pecorino. There was no argument in our foursome over our favorite; the Stanislaus canned California pear tomatoes milled in house had the perfect trace of sweetness and pure essence of sun-ripened tomato and needed nothing more but the little leaves of fresh oregano scattered atop.
The bread is crisped on the bottom and sides, light and chewy inside and studded with melted fontina cheese.
On the other hand, we clearly disagreed with the two men seated beside us, who practically came to blows over the last bite of their potato sfincione, which our server also told us was his favorite. The creamy, thick potato sauce is a technique Hanna first learned at Catbird before working out this version, which reminded us of Alfredo sauce. Basically, cooked potatoes are puréed with heated, emulsified cream, garlic, preserved lemon, a small amount of cream cheese, black pepper and salt, then poured over the bread, strewn with those delicious breadcrumbs. We found no fault with the flavor, but the combo of potato, cream, cheese and bread was too heavy for our taste.
We recovered with Gretsch’s weightless, pristine sorbetto di limone, lightly kissed with wild vanilla and served in a hollowedout frozen lemon.
As we left St. Vito, the famous line from the Godfather popped into my head. “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.” When it comes to Michael Hanna’s jewel box of a restaurant, I would paraphrase: Come for the sfincione, stay for the plates, and for God’s sake, don’t leave without at least one lemon sorbet.
EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM
Fall won’t officially begin until after the autumnal equinox on Sept. 23 — I’m well aware of that, writing this in nearly 100-degree weather. Even still, my news feed is packed with stories about the upcoming college football season, I’ve already put our beach gear into storage, and I’m resisting the urge to break out my favorite wool sweater. It might not feel like autumn yet, but the best art season of the year is just around the corner. And the September gallery calendar looks very cool — even if my curly hair says it’s still stifling.
The Frist Art Museum opens Multiplicity: Blackness in Contemporary American Collage on Sept. 15, and a new exhibition at Red Arrow is smartly set up to share in the Frist display’s conversation about how deftly Black stories can be addressed through combinations of artistic materials and techniques. Resonance features a pair of artists who both explore cultural narratives of the African diaspora in works that ensnare viewers with their tantalizingly touchable — don’t touch the art! — textures. Khari Turner’s multimedia paintings combine acrylic, oil, charcoal, stained glass, seashells and sand with water collected at seasides and lakeshores of personal or historic significance to the artist and his narratives. Turner is based in the Great Lakes region in Milwaukee, and his work registers the way those massive bodies of fresh water shape the geography and social structures of the land and the people in the industrial Midwest.
Turner’s works are part portraiture and part narrative, but their formal flourishes of unexpected materials, bold palettes and intriguing abstraction elevate them above the glut of content-focused art still stubbornly sticking to contemporary gallery walls.
Turner’s paintings are nicely complemented by Donté Hayes’ gorgeous, textural ceramics. Hayes’ works stole the show at Red Arrow’s Mundus Inversus group exhibition in spring 2022, and it’s great to see more of his work back at the East Nashville space. Hayes uses a needle to mark the surfaces of his soft-seeming geometric forms. The repeating marks create a texture that makes the pieces look like they’re made of woven threads — it’s a dramatic transformation that has to be seen in person. For the artist, these monochrome black works, and the rippling designs on their surfaces, speak to the oceanic crossings of the Atlantic slave trade. Like Turner’s paintings, Hayes’ works are likely to engage gallerygoers in these
deeper meanings, if only because they first seduce viewers with their irresistible forms and textures.
➡ DETAILS: Opening reception 6-9 p.m. Saturday at Red Arrow, 919 Gallatin Ave.
One of this season’s crispest offerings is a throwback exhibition featuring some of the artists who helped to create Nashville’s contemporary art scene in spaces like the May Hosiery Mill and the Fugitive Art Center. The May Hosiery Mill, which we always just called the Chestnut building, was once a thriving creative spot where generations of local artists rented studios, launched galleries and partied into the wee hours, dreaming and scheming about building the visual arts scene that Nashville newbies now take for granted. The Fugitive Art Center was located at 404 Houston St. — what is now the Houston Station building. That curatorial collective brought an international roster of artists to Nashville before anybody considered our city to be a visual arts destination. The Fugitive also provided studio spaces to a generation of creators who’ve gone on to build national reputations in cities across the country. On view at The Browsing Room gallery and co-curated by OG Nashville artists Lain York and Janet Decker Yanez, The Key Show recalls the Wild West of our city’s contemporary art scene when a small, scrappy and resourceful collection of visionary oddballs built a creative community
and transformed Nashville in the process. The exhibition includes work by Greg Pond, Beth Gilmore, Michael McBride, Adrienne Outlaw and Dane Carder, as well as York and Yanez themselves.
➡ DETAILS: Opening reception 6-8 p.m. Saturday at The Browsing Room, 154 Rep. John Lewis Way N.
Speaking of old-school Nashville, Julia Martin traces her beginnings as an artist and a curator to the May Hosiery Building’s heyday. Her Wedgewood-Houston gallery is a testament to what a hardworking and talented artist can build out of a no-frills space. Julia Martin Gallery is celebrating its 10th birthday celebration on Saturday night, and given the gallery’s reputation for festive receptions, this one should be a banger. Martin has nurtured the careers of a number of local and regional creators over the years, and artists like Kevin Guthrie, Delia Seigenthaler and Elise Drake have become emblematic of the gallery’s quirky take on contemporary art. The gallery is also the only Wedgewood-Houston venue to regularly feature live music at their opening receptions, and the gallery’s front-porch concerts can be some of the best shows in Music City.
Martin is planning an all-day affair to celebrate her art-baby’s big day. A massive, gallery-spanning group show will feature works by many of the artist’s Martin has
exhibited over the years, and a rotating lineup of bands and performers will be gracing the front-porch stage, including William Tyler, Ziona Riley, Styrofoam Winos, artist Wayne White’s band Username Password, HR Lexy and more. Martin is also promising “a feast” from Martin’s BBQ, beverages from Bearded Iris Brewing, and several surprises she’s keeping to herself. Martin and her gallery are a staple of the crawl, and she’s also one of the people who helped to grow Nashville’s contemporary art scene from the very beginning. You’ve come a long way, Julia. We all have.
➡ DETAILS: Celebration 3-9 p.m. Saturday at Julia Martin Gallery, 444 Humphreys St. EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM
BY SARAH NORRIS
Everything/Nothing/Someone, Alice Carrière’s wild, dark, riveting memoir, is governed by a certain lawlessness. The daughter of actor Mathieu
Carrière and artist Jennifer Bartlett, Carrière grew up in New York City in the ’90s, in a 17,000-square-foot building “where people came to lock themselves in and fall apart.” She was raised by a nanny “who could be fired and disappear at any moment.” Her parents were consumed by their own ghosts and pettiness; the lion’s share of their attention was devoted to their own creative pursuits, as well as attempts to destroy one another during their six-year divorce.
Carrière mines her strange childhood — seemingly privileged yet violently neglected
she lived, for instance, Carrière refers to by its address, not once as “home.” Her world proved over and over to be untrustworthy, so she didn’t learn to trust. How, then, was she to trust herself?
For years, self-harming offered Carrière a means to get back to herself. “It centers me,” she writes, “and it re-establishes causality. When I cut I know I will bleed and then I know I will heal.” Throughout her teens and 20s, the author spends days, weeks and months at mental hospitals. While checking out after more than a year at one rehabilitation facility, where the recommended stay was “indefinite,” Carrière is told by a psychiatrist, “We hope to see you back here.”
— as she traces the roots of her dissociative disorder. This memoir is about something more interesting than ego. It’s an account of a highly specific crackup, and a significantly self-inflicted one, though a few of the usual suspects — including absentee celebrity parents and the American mental health care system — share much of the blame.
Having reached the point of being totally broken, unable to work or even to take care of herself in the most basic ways, Carrière embarks on piecing herself together.
Overall, Everything/Nothing/Someone leaves the impression of a girl and young woman imagining her path to becoming the older adult she can’t yet fully conceive. Carrière has had no models, no mentors, no unconditional love, neither emotional scaffolding nor steadiness. There are moments of bracing sexual frankness in the book (and gross impropriety on the part of her father as well as his friends), a few indelible images of brutality and scant doses of dry humor.
The material affluence that in some ways cushioned her upbringing was not what it appeared; her parents’ handling of money was erratic. Carrière writes, “My mother was, in her chronic extravagance, somehow always almost broke.” The highs and lows, the constant unevenness engendered Carrière’s instability. “Starting at seven years old I said that the only feelings I could feel were ‘guilt, regret, and nervous excitement.’” It is true she lived in a building so large she had an entire floor or two to herself, which is almost unheard of for anyone in Manhattan. It is also true that she never possessed a sense of foundation. The place in which
Carrière takes back the narrative — from the overmedicating doctors, from her mother and father’s laissez-faire approach to parenting and laughable incapacity to discipline themselves, from the fun-house mirrors of her own fabrications — and does so by straightforward methods: Anecdotes, unsentimental and detailed reportage, dry and desirous digressions, and remembrances are laid out without self-pity or flashiness. If her innocence had decades ago been breached, with Everything/Nothing/Someone, Carrière lays claim to the territory. She, in other words, reclaims herself.
There is an irresistible magnetism at work, the astute — often shocking, sometimes hilarious — observations sit in close proximity to the awkwardly ponderous. The reader who engages will be rewarded. Improbably. Carrière makes brilliant use of her parents’ respective failings not merely as a black hole that led to her self-harming and obsession with her own demise, but as a structural stimulus. The sum of her family’s offenses serves as a useful device. The memoir ultimately enters an elegiac phase of tenderness and surprising beauty.
Everything/Nothing/Someone’s heartbreaking passages transpire through the lens of a narrator who identifies as “a dispassionate documentarian” of her life. Calling herself “the receptacle of my parents’ stories,” she writes: “To my mother, I was a symbol, proof that she could create anything she wanted to, against odds, against expectation, against nature. To my father, I was the mother who didn’t regret him, the wife who hadn’t left him, the collaborator who would never outgrow him.”
This book is not without its cringeinducing moments, but Everything/Nothing/ Someone is held together, even elevated, by the force of Carrière’s honesty, which lives in her prose. This honesty was always where her liberation would be found.
To read an uncut version of this review — and more local book coverage — please visit Chapter16.org, an online publication of Humanities Tennessee.
EMAIL ARTS@NASHVILLESCENE.COM
WMOT Roots Radio Finally Fridays featuring WYATT FLORES, JOHN P. STROHM & DALLAS MOORE SMOKING SECTION
Backstage Nashville! DAYTIME HIT SONGWRITERS SHOW feat MARK NESLER, GEORGE DUCAS, RAY STEPHENSON & THE DRYES + KATELYN MYERS
THE EAGLEMANIACS: The Music of Don Henley and The Eagles with TERESA
NATE FREDRICK AND THE WHOLESOME BOYS with LEAH BLEVINS & DYLAN SMUCKER
TIME JUMPERS ANDERSON COUNCIL–A Pink Floyd Experience
WMOT Roots Radio Finally Fridays featuring TWISTED PINE, ERIN VIANCOURT & JILL ANDREWS SUB-RADIO with
AND the altons w/ Mount Worcester of montreal w/ locate s,1 and ritzy d dogs in a pile w/ Airshow elder w/ rezn & lord buffalo the glorious sons w/ The Velveteers
DEERHOOF W/ FLYNT FLOSSY & TURQUOISE JEEP
DURAND BERNARR w/ JeRonelle
LEAH KATE w/ Conor Burns, Senses & Alex Capelli
DOPAPOD W/ STOLEN GIN
JAKE MILLER W/ brooke alexx & HARIZ
MAUDE LATOUR W/ DEVON AGAIN
AMERICANAFEST: Mipso, Della Mae
AMERICANAFEST: Band of Heathens, Kaitlin
Butts, The Panhandlers, Drayton Flores
AMERICANAFEST: A Tribute to 1973
AMERICANAFEST: Sarah Jarosz, Maggie Rose, The Wilder Blue, Blue Water Highway, The Shindellas
zz ward w/ jaime wyatt noah gundersen w/ casey dubie mo lowda & the humble W/ JIVE TALK
SHAWN JAMES W/ RACHAEL DAVIS & EVAN BARTELS ambar lucid w/ rubio & ethanuno
MATTHEW FOWLER & ALEXA ROSE [7PM]
The Bright Light Social Hour w/ Choses Sauvages [9PM]
Get Happier Fridays: The Swell Fellas, Jobi Riccio, Joe Marc's Brother, Texino
Flight Attendant, OTNES, Clover Jamez, Travollta, Ancient Posse, Beau Burnette
The Dead Bolts, Mojo Thunder, Willie Pearl
Maddy Hicks w/ Caroline Dare [7PM]
Ellie Stone, Geordann Daguplo, Tristan Bushman [9PM]
Roz Malone, Daisha McBride, Qualls and Ken-Say [7PM]
Maddie Lenhart, Julie Eddy, Jack McKeon (9PM]
Get happier fridays: Maggie Miles, V3RN, ZG Smith, special guest tba ok, tyler (7PM]
lille mae (9PM]
Brian Sour, kidPlastic, Doug & The Dying abby hamilton (7PM]
Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners (9PM]
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The Astronomers w/ jady (7pm)
Cutting-edge fusion ensemble
Shakti caps a monumental year with a reunion tour
BY RON WYNNThe term “fusion,” while accurate to a degree, only scratches the surface of the musical magic made by Shakti. This remarkable group united some five decades ago, and currently features two original members — master guitarist and guitar synthesist John McLaughlin and great tabla player Zakir Hussain — along with vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan and percussionist Selvaganesh “V. Selvaganesh” Vinayakram, whose legendary percussionist father T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram was in the original incarnation of the group.
At that time, McLaughlin stunned the music world by walking away from the enormously successful and groundbreaking Mahavishnu Orchestra to take quite an alternative direction. Shakti was texturally and sonically very different from the Mahavishnu Orchestra, yet despite the acoustic instruments and traditional Indian music backgrounds and settings, Shakti was every bit as adventurous in its compositions and presentation. They also echoed the Mahavishnu Orchestra in terms of the members’ abilities to make their divergent experiences converge into a fresh, inspired sound. The group’s work perfectly showcased McLaughlin’s instrumental flair and improvisatory fury within Indian music’s intricate, explo-
When Rock and Roll Hall of Famers
sive and fluid rhythmic foundations.
Shakti recorded three acclaimed studio releases and one live record between 1975 and 1977, touring extensively around the world before disbanding. McLaughlin and Hussain put together another band with a similar concept, Remember Shakti, in 1997. That group included V. Selvaganesh and mandolin player U. Shrinivas; eventually Mahadevan joined in, and the ensemble served as a bridge to the reformation of Shakti in 2020. They released This Moment, their first LP in 46 years, in June, and recently embarked on a 50th anniversary tour that comes to the Ryman Thursday night.
“It’s really like we never stopped playing together,” Mahadevan tells the Scene by phone from Boston the morning after their opening night performance. “Everything just seemed to work so well. The audience was incredibly receptive, and the way that we work together as a group has always been that everyone contributes to the music — and then things come together as the compositions are evolving. It really did seem like we’ve been playing together every night all these years instead of being apart.”
That sense of musical unity and completeness resonates throughout This Moment The record’s compositions reflect Shakti’s shared musical sense of camaraderie, as well as the necessity for dealing with issues caused by COVID and the pandemic.
“I’d always wanted the group to do an album in my studio,” Mahadevan says. “But due to COVID, everyone was spread out, and we all had to send our parts in from wherever we were. I was in Bombay, John was in Monaco, the other members were also scattered around. We also utilized a lot more technology. We’d send things in and listen, and then everyone would say whether they thought this worked or that worked. We’re really happy with the way things worked out.”
The eight-song, 57-minute release includes one of their most memorable and
intense offerings, the nearly 11-minute “Giriraj Sudha.” The piece is dedicated to Shrinivas, who died in 2014, and he shares compositional credit; it features frenetic percussive segments augmented by splendid McLaughlin guitar lines that intertwine with Mahadevan’s vocals. Another gem is the mellow and melancholy “Karuna,” although both the opening cut “Shrini’s Dream” and finale “Sono Mama” are engaging and enjoyable as they twist and turn through passages of varying tempo and compositional density.
“I think that doing this album the way that we did it — while it wasn’t exactly the way that I would have preferred, which is everyone together — it still came out really well,” says Mahadevan. “The complementary sense that is the strength of our music really comes out, and everyone contributed in terms of making sure that the songs worked out the way that we wanted.”
Another key element in Shakti’s distinctive sound comes via the contributions of Hussain, who initially gave McLaughlin his baptism into Indian music. It was their early jam sessions that ultimately led to the creation of Shakti. Mahadevan credits Hussain, whose father played with Ravi Shankar, with remaining an enormous influence on Shakti’s direction.
“[Hussain] brings to us such a depth of knowledge, and the rhythmic base from which we all benefit and use to extend the music. I think for me the greatest thing about this group is the sense of collaboration and shared aspects. When we couldn’t tour due to the pandemic, the thing that we all talked about was how great it would be once we could get out in front of live audiences again. I think that this tour will be the greatest thing we’ve done yet, and the Nashville stop is one we’re all excited about, because everyone around the world knows about Nashville when it comes to music.”
EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM
The Doobie Brothers take the stage at FirstBank Amphitheater Thursday evening as part of their 50th anniversary tour, Michael McDonald will not be the only Nashville-area resident onstage. While keyboardist-vocalist McDonald’s association with the Doobies is etched in popular music history, bassist-vocalist John Cowan’s lengthy relationship with the band is less well-known.
An incredibly soulful vocalist who made music history of his own as the lead singer and bassist for the pioneering bluegrass outfit New Grass Revival, Cowan has had not one but two stints as bassist and backing vocalist for The Doobie Brothers.
“This is my second tour of duty,” Cowan tells the Scene with a laugh.
Cowan first toured with the legendary band in the early to mid-’90s after working with founding Doobie Brother Patrick Simmons in The Sky Kings, a country-rock supergroup that also included Rusty Young (Poco) and Bill Lloyd (Foster & Lloyd).
“The Doobies got reactivated, and they didn’t have a bass player,” Cowan recalls. “And Pat said, ‘Well, I’m working with this guy named John Cowan. He’s really good. He sings really good. Let’s just use him.’
“[The Sky Kings] did a whole tour opening for the Doobies where Pat and I both did double duty. We would be the opening band with Bill and Rusty, and then the Doobies would come on, and Pat and I would play with the Doobies.”
Cowan’s first gig as bassist for The Doobie Brothers is one he will always remember. It was at
the Freedom Fest in Austin, Texas, in the summer of 1993. When he looked out from the stage, Cowan saw a sea of people.
“It was the Fourth of July — it was big,” he recalls. “There were hundreds of thousands of people there.”
Cowan’s first stint with The Doobie Brothers lasted around three years and came to an end when he had to choose between The Doobies and The Sky Kings. Originally signed to RCA, by 1995 The Sky Kings had moved to Warner Bros. After they switched labels, Warner Nashville chief Jim Ed Norman told Simmons and Cowan they were going to have to choose between the two bands.
“Pat had been the only member since day one of The Doobies who was in every incarnation of that band,” Cowan explains. “And he was smart enough to say, ‘Well, guess I’m not in The Sky Kings anymore.’
“And at that point, I had to make a decision: Was I going to stay with The Doobie Brothers, where I’m a sideman, or am I going to go on and try to see what happens with The Sky Kings’ record, where I’m one of the principal members of the band as a songwriter and a vocalist? So I stayed.”
Unfortunately, after releasing three singles that failed to reach the country Top 40, Warner Bros. decided to shelve the album. At that point, The Sky Kings, as Cowan put it, “disintegrated.” Cowan then reunited with former New Grass Revival bandmate Sam Bush in a duo called Sam and John. But Bush soon realized he wanted to be a solo act and asked Cowan to be in his band as bassist and vocalist.
“I did it for a while, but you can’t be partners with somebody — equal partners as we were in New Grass Revival and when we had our duo thing — and then be their sideman,” Cowan says. “I just couldn’t do it. My pride and my ego and common sense, all three things just went, ‘I can’t do this.’ So that’s when I started The John Cowan Band.”
Over the next decade, Cowan released a number of albums under his own name. Then in 2010, The Doobie Brothers again found themselves in need of a bass player and called on Cowan. That began his second run as a member of the Doobies’ live band, and he’s been a mainstay ever since.
Cowan has continued to perform with his own group when he’s not on the road with The Doobie Brothers. “Any time The Doobies had a break,” he says, “I would schedule John Cowan shows so I could keep in touch with my own voice as an artist.”
Recently, however, Cowan has been focusing exclusively on The Doobie Brothers because founding member Tom Johnston is recovering from back surgery and unable to perform.
“He’s been gone all summer,” Cowan says. “He may come back in the fall. It just depends on how he does with his physical therapy.”
In addition to band members Simmons, McDonald and John McFee, the lineup at FirstBank Amphitheater Thursday night will include drummer Ed Toth (Vertical Horizon), saxophonist Marc Russo (The Yellowjackets, Tower of Power) and percussionist Marc Quinones (Allman Brothers). In Johnston’s absence, Cowan has taken over some of his vocal duties.
“I’m singing lead on ‘Listen to the Music’ and ‘Rockin’ Down the Highway.’ Then I’m splitting the vocals with Mike and Pat on a couple other tunes that we do — ‘Take Me In Your Arms’ and ‘Neal’s Fandango.’”
EMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM
The Scene ’s music writers recommend recent releases from O.N.E the Duo, Greta Van Fleet, Stef and the Sleeveens and more
School is back, Labor Day weekend is here, a jam-packed fall concert season looms — and there are still heaps of great records by folks from Nashville you’ll want to listen to. The Scene’s music writers have eight new recommendations for you: Add ’em to your streaming queue or pick them up from your favorite record store. Some of our picks are also available to buy directly from the artists on Bandcamp, whose Bandcamp Friday promotion — in which the platform waives its cut of sales for a 24-hour period — returns on Sept. 1.
“Ain’t Enough Rocks,” the opener of Brandy Clark’s fourth album, a murder ballad in which the narrator bumps off her childhood abuser. Clark delivers the song with the casual smoothness country bros might bring to a tune about dirt roads and pickup trucks, belying the intensity of the narrative. When Clark slows down for ballads like “Up Above the Clouds (Cecilia’s Song),” she showcases her tender voice and pointed storytelling. Brandi Carlile’s sensibilities as a producer drive the album, giving Clark a similar vocal-forward mix and sense of infinite-yetintimate spaciousness that characterize her own work. When the pair duets, it’s difficult to separate their voices — as if their artistic partnership was always meant to be.
RACHEL CHOLST
he introduces the album’s themes — he’s made enough records to have bars about navigating the anxiety-inducing transition from private person to public figure — and serves up a statement of intent. Throughout the 15-track run, he works in a ton of different styles, drawing on old-school boom-bap beats, funky R&B sounds, cuttingedge electronic experimentalism and more, rewarding lots of repeat listens.
STEPHEN TRAGESER
As the title of their debut album suggests, mother-daughter pair O.N.E the Duo brings exceptional vocal prowess and subtle interplay to their spin on country music. You might have expected them to contribute to a different rich tradition of musical storytelling, namely hip-hop: Tekitha performed with the Wu-Tang Clan, and Prana Supreme is Tekitha and RZA’s daughter. But standout songs like the R&B-inflected “Hearts Like Mine” and the blues-tinged “River of Sins” have insightful stories and indelible hooks that fit right in with the best of country’s mainstream.
STEPHEN TRAGESER
Drummer-composer Sofia Goodman’s latest solo release Secrets of the Shore reveals her facility with mainstream and straightahead jazz, even though she hasn’t totally abandoned the funk and pop elements and influences that were a key part of her 2018 debut LP Myriad of Flowers. But the tunes on this latest session reveal increased harmonic sophistication and rhythmic dexterity, and spotlight several of Music City’s best improvisers, including wind instrumentalists like trumpeter Matt White and trombonist Roy Agee. The high quality of the playing and extensive nature of the solos — as well each piece’s compositional development — come as no surprise. The album explores water’s many forms and dimensions, and Goodman smartly tailors the melodies and rhythms to reflect that thematic variety, ranging from explosive (“In Barbara’s Mist”) to subdued (“Siren Song”) to intricate (“Angel”). RON WYNN
STEF AND THE SLEEVEENS, “GIVE MY REGARDS TO THE DANCING GIRLS” B/W “SMALL TALK WITH JONATHAN”
Stef and the Sleeveens have managed to recapture the spirit of the proper punk singles with their debut 7-inch. Dublin native Stefan Murphy had made a lifetime’s worth of rock ’n’ roll before moving to Nashville to assemble his current band, which features members of Cheap Time, THING and the criminally underrated Outlaw Lovers. So when Murphy started The Sleeveens — whose name is an Irish term for a trickster — he was fully loaded with hooks and lyrics. Recorded by local producer and ’70s punk aficionado Jamie Mechan at his 302 Sound, the two tracks sound pristine enough to have been released by Chiswick or Stiff in 1976, rather than local imprint Sweet Time in 2023. Even better news: The full-length Hospital Verses is set to drop in September. P.J.
KINZER$AVVY, BUNNY! (DADABASE)
Inventive rapper and singer $avvy kicks off his latest LP with a track called “Progressively Hopping.” Here
In the ’90s and early Aughts, Nashville punks Craig Allen and Josh Elrod crossed the dub subgenre of reggae with the electronic music innovations of the time to create Phase Selector Sound. As an appetizer before releasing new music, the reunited duo pieced the four-song digital offering Ep2 together from tracks recorded in 1999 and 2000 and recently discovered on an old hard drive. While the band’s seminal 1999 album Disassemble Dub serves up chill
much better than
Saturday, September 2
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SONGWRITER SESSION
Bobby Tomberlin
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Bryan Simpson
NOON · FORD THEATER
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instrumental vibes, Ep2 points back to the avant-garde imaginations of On-U Sound’s mad scientist Adrian Sherwood and his cast of reggae and post-punk collaborators.
ADDIE MOORE
No one carries the banner of psychedelic blues rock and prog rock higher than Greta Van Fleet, a fact underscored by their impressive new album Starcatcher. Mostly tracked live at legendary RCA Studio A in Nashville under the direction of producer Dave Cobb, it’s an ambitious record that builds on some of the themes from their previous album The Battle at Garden’s Gate. And while it won’t quiet comparisons of the band to Led Zeppelin, Starcatcher does show GVF’s growing maturity as recording artists. It also provides further evidence that Josh Kiszka is one of rock’s most dynamic vocalists and that his twin brother Jake is a bona fide guitar god.
DARYL SANDERSBy sundown on Friday, the roasting heat, the tense yet ineffective special session of the state legislature and a dozen other things on my mind had me ready to collapse under a ceiling fan and call it a day. But on the docket was Mo Better Blue Room, a hip-hop showcase at The Blue Room organized by and featuring folks from the Black City crew. A couple of songs into the first set, I felt like Mario after chowing down on one of those embiggening mushrooms. It was a hell of a party with some of the most charismatic performers and insightful songwriters in a city overflowing with talent. I just hope Brian Brown found his keys. (More on that in a minute.)
Two years ago, top-notch rapper Intro
— whose moniker is short for “introvert”
— introduced his introspective rhymes and nimble flow with Welcome to Next Year. He’s returned with a three-pack of R&B-schooled tracks about the highs and lows of romantic relationships. In eight minutes, he dives deep into intense feelings of connection that don’t always respect boundaries — “From Your Man” follows partners who hook up despite already being in a relationship — to fears about how long love will actually last.
STEPHEN TRAGESEREMAIL MUSIC@NASHVILLESCENE.COM
Moody, who kicked the evening off with his band and A.B. Eastwood on the beats, was a late addition to the bill. He’s been releasing his own music for only a few years, but he’s already got a substantial catalog of introspective jams with a strong contemporary R&B influence. I ran into Black City cofounder Justin Causey, who mentioned that the Georgia-born singer and MC was one of the drum majors for the mighty, historymaking Aristocrat of Bands when he was a student at TSU — no wonder he absolutely owned the crowd from the get-go.
Following Moody was Saucyy Slim, who likewise dances nimbly around the boundaries between R&B and rap. Her set was short and sweet, with one of the highlights being the infectiously groovy “Max B.” Dropped earlier that day as part of a three-song EP
called The Trio, it’s a tribute to the titular mixtape king who put a name to a feeling by adding “wavy” to the lexicon. Fans called on Slim for an encore; she was fresh out of beats, but pulled a jaw-dropping a cappella freestyle out of her back pocket.
Next, DJs Memville and Wrightful plugged in and OGTHAGAWD took the mic. On his tracks, his flow is laid-back and tends to come across as weary, which is fitting for the heaviness of what he’s rapping about. But onstage he kicked the energy up several notches, stoking up an excited crowd with songs new and old. Two of the standout songs were from his February EP The Book of OG: Namely, those were “Money Counters,” with Jay Monie joining in person as he does on the record, and “Small Town,” a piece about making the most of what you’ve got — which is even more powerful for being honest about the pressure that comes with that effort. It’s a low bar to clear, but I’d be remiss to not mention that “Small Town” is a far more insightful song than Jason Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town.”
Tripleplay Squeek knows what she likes — in life generally and from a partner in particular — and has no qualms rapping about it. She draws strength from the bawdy humor and swagger of Memphis hip-hop heroes Three 6 Mafia, which she made especially clear when she performed “W.A.B.,” her spin on Three 6’s “Weak Azz Bitch.” Introducing her 2022 single “Bounce Muzik,” Squeek told us more about her relationship with her music. “When I drop a song, I may listen to it [again], I may not,” she said. “This is my shit. If you know this song, sing it!” Everyone in earshot complied.
Finally came the aforementioned Brown, who began with a warm welcome and a description of a key ring and a pair of AirPods that went AWOL before the show started. With Memville’s support, he glided back and
forth through his jam-packed catalog. Older songs like “Stoop Kid” stood comfortably alongside ones from his 2020 LP Journey, his recent EP Two Minute Drill and as-yetunreleased material. Brown started strong in 2014 with his 7:22 EP and has raised the bar on himself ever since. He’s hands-down one of the most fun people to watch on a stage — it made perfect sense that he was booked on several punk shows this year, and he kept the energy high right till the very end on Friday.
Nashville has historically had a wealth of hip-hop talent, but the critical mass needed to get it to the next level has tended to dissipate quickly. The wave of Nashville hip-hop that started rising prior to the pandemic feels more sustainable. Crews like Black City, Inner Circle and Six One Trïbe are combining individuals’ efforts to tap resources in ways that are difficult to do without established infrastructure; we are seeing more local rap shows, and we are seeing more MCs come back with repeat releases, getting sync and publishing deals that spread their names far and wide, and building bases of power. This is growth that we as a city need to keep feeding if we want to remain a cultural center for the foreseeable future.
EMAIL THESPIN@NASHVILLESCENE.COM
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Our default frame of reference for teen films still clings to the carapace of the John Hughes era — which rightfully acknowledges the seismic shift in point of view that those films represented, but doesn’t really reckon with how rooted they were in preserving the status quo (e.g., upper- middle-class, heteronormative white people experiences).
So it’s exciting when something like Bottoms comes along, committed to underdogs of all sorts and turning accepted modes of discourse on their ass. Director and co-writer Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby) has a knack for exploring the facets of traditional narratives that often get shunned, and she’s so far done so on her own terms, which is gloriously refreshing.
If Bottoms were a regular movie, football star Jeff (Nicholas Galitzine, from Red, White and Royal Blue) would be the hero, and we’d be treading water until his reunion with Isabel (Havana Rose Liu) despite his habitual infidelity and crippling pineapple allergy. Josie (Ayo Edibiri, from seemingly everything) and PJ (co-writer Rachel Sennott, from Bodies Bodies Bodies and Shiva Baby) would maybe get two-and-a-half scenes in the background. But their yearning queer hearts would be consigned to liminal subtext, instead of allowed to claim space as the rightfully horny protagonists.
The fact that these two channel their sexual frustration into violence — well, that’s something every school with a football team has been doing for decades and decades. But the fact that they are women who are also into women — that somehow is
something that bureaucracy doesn’t know how to deal with, because it just gets more and more apparent every day that any kind of identity that makes the establishment have to reevaluate its traditions is just too much for established society to bear. Understand that this film is violent in a way that may alienate some viewers — but it’s also honest about the casual violence in every American school*, and it doesn’t pull its punches.
Thankfully, these are resourceful young lesbians, and they (for the most part) have Marshawn Lynch on their side. I know nothing of sports (barring the 1999 PGA, because I watched that with my grandfather when he was dying from cancer), but the former Seahawks running back is one of the funniest people alive on the planet right now. And he’s the faculty sponsor for PJ and Josie’s plan to start a self-defense class to allow young women to access their power
and all sorts of agency — you know the kind I mean. It’s a complicated world, and there’s an anarchic freedom to the society these women are building that can’t help but be exhilarating. Not just for queer youth, or those who were once queer youth. But for anyone who could have used another way.
*The author is addressing K-12 schools from 1981 to 1993. Seligman is 20 years younger, but it still feels accurate. There are teachers — good ones — who will read this and be horrified, but the truth is there was never anything they could have done. The system depends on threat energy; just ask all the queer kids who get suspended or expelled for defending themselves against bullying.
goofed!”
3 Baby’s boo-boo
4 Enzyme in dairy pills
5 Attention-getting cry
6 Most of 1999
52 Bit of agitation
53 Take the ___
54 Her
NOTICE OF SALE UNDER
MECHANIC’S AND ARTISAN’S LIEN
Cumberland International Trucks, Inc. (“Secured Party”), pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-14103, 66-19-101, and pursuant to a Notice of Claim of Mechanic’s/Artisan’s Lien dated August 2, 2023, as amended hereby, holds a lien for repairs against a certain 2013 International Prostar VIN: 3HSDJSJR9DN321062
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Secured Party shall sell, grant, convey, transfer, and deliver unto any successful purchaser all of the right, title, and interest in and to the Vehicle which Secured Party has a right to sell as a Secured Party and no further or otherwise.
The Vehicle will be sold “as is”, “where is”, and “with all faults”, without any representations or warranties, expressed or implied and subject to any prior liens or encumbrances, if any. Without
limiting the generality of the foregoing, Secured Party has not made and will not make any representations or warranties regarding the Vehicle, the condition of the Vehicle, warranty of title or marketability of title and the conveyance shall be with all defects and without any warranties, expressed or implied, including warranties of merchantability, condition, or of fitness for a general or particular purpose.
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